Thank you for reading and for your comments!
Rey watched as Poe seemed to bolster himself before stepping into the remains of the cockpit. She held her breath just as she knew he must be doing, worry filling her all over again. He knew what he was doing, she told herself. He may have spent the last few years a spoiled, pampered actor, but it was obvious he had common sense and his experience with planes was a definite plus.
It appeared everyone on this plane knew who he was (or had been told by others) and they were ready to jump at his slightest command. Which was okay with her, because so far, he was proving to be not only a smart leader, but one that was ready and willing to stick his own neck out to make sure everyone was okay. She felt tears form in her eyes as she finished wrapping the lacerated arm from one of the passengers, a middle-aged woman who had also been watching Poe enter the cockpit.
"He certainly seems to know what he's doing," she said as Rey finished by securing the wrap with white tape. "You'd think he really was Lucas Bowers."
Rey smiled at the woman's words. Lucas Bowers was the character he had played in a movie that had first streamed a few years ago. Bowers was a former military special operative who led a team of fellow former soldiers as they hired themselves out to people in order to right wrongs, a la The A-Team. The movie was silly, but awesomely fun, and he was gorgeous in it.
She saw movement out of the corner of her eye and she looked up to see Poe exit the cockpit empty handed. She didn't think he had been in there long enough to make a call on the radio, and when his eyes met hers across the clearing and he shook his head solemnly, she knew she was right. Nothing was working. They were on their own.
Taking a deep breath, she again blinked back tears and focused on the other people waiting to have their injuries looked at. Other than a couple of lacerations that could use stitches, there had been nothing major from anyone other than the couple laying behind her on the ground. The front of the plane, which Rey assumed had hit a rocky outcropping after landing, had taken the brunt of the damage, and every passenger from row three back was doing well. She glanced up as Poe arrived back with the group carrying a couple of the bags that had been liberated from the plane. He spoke with Finn, and the two set out to put together several different campfires; it was starting to get dark, Rey realized. And cold. Rose had brought her carry-on to her and Rey had been able to retrieve her jacket from it, but her legs were still bare and she had been sitting on the damp ground for quite a while now. She hoped everyone had found enough dry wood.
By the time she had looked at the last injured person, four fires were burning. Everyone had claimed their bags and were adding layers and snacking on food items they had packed. Bottled water and soft drinks had been distributed and everyone seemed settled, if subdued. Finn had started one of the fires close to Rey and the unconscious couple, and he and Rose settled next to it. Poe joined them as soon as everyone seemed to quiet down. Rey couldn't help but feel a tingle of pleasure when he sat next to her.
He looked back at the couple. "How are they doing?"
Rey's pleasure faded quickly. "Not well," she said softly. "I think she has head trauma. Her pulse has slowed significantly, and I'm not sure she'll wake up." She gave him a worried glance. "He was awake for a while. His name's Harry, and she's his wife, Linda. He seemed to be doing okay, but his pulse has gotten faster and is weak. His skin is very cold and pale. I've examined him and he's got that laceration, but it's stopped bleeding. I think he may have internal bleeding." She shook her head. "There's nothing I can do for either of them but keep them comfortable." Her heart clenched as she said the words out loud.
Without any hesitation, Poe wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her gently into him. The action brought tears to her eyes again, and she closed them tightly. She needed to stop wanting to cry! But as she rested her head on his shoulder, she became aware of the sound of sobbing coming from more than one person in their makeshift camp. The cries were soft, but persistent. It was going to be a long night.
Finn cleared his throat and Rey opened her eyes to look at him. He was looking at Poe.
"So, what do we do next, Captain?"
Finn's expression was serious, and there was no sarcasm in his voice. He meant the title as a sign of respect. Rey glanced up at Poe, and she could tell he was studying Finn, probably wondering if the younger man was being genuine. After a moment, he took a deep breath and looked at Rey.
"You said you hiked, right? You're comfortable in the wilderness?"
Rey lifted her head and nodded. "Yeah, Finn and I hike a lot. Rose comes with us on the shorter trails."
"I am not as athletically inclined as they are," Rose said with a grimace.
Poe gave her a soft smile. "We need to find others that know their way around mountains," he continued. "Then do some reconnaissance in the morning. For all we know, there's a town or ranch or something just over the ridge, although I would assume someone would be here investigating if that was true." He shifted his gaze toward the other fires, knowing some of the others were listening to him. "We need to be on the lookout for power poles, fire towers, even hiking trails. My guess is we're somewhere in the Wind River Range, so there could be isolated campgrounds or cabins nearby." He looked at Rey again and scowled. "Or we may be in the middle of nowhere."
"I'll need to stay with them," Rey said, gesturing to the injured couple. "But there was a flare gun in that emergency kit you found me. We should make sure those who know how to shoot know where it is in case a helicopter or plane flies close by."
The corner of Poe's mouth curled up. "That's it. You're officially my Second in Command," he told her.
Rey couldn't stop the smile. Despite her exhaustion, anxiety, and physical discomfort, he still managed to make her smile. She gave him a weak salute. "Yes, sir."
His eyes crinkled as he smiled back. He nodded and looked around. "In the meantime, let's try and get some sleep, huh?" He spoke a little louder, insuring everyone heard him. There were some nods and even more grimaces, but everyone tried to settle, using their bags as pillows and jackets or the blankets from the plane to cover themselves with.
Rey regretfully pulled away from Poe to check on her patients, then she tried to make herself comfortable lying close to them, watching as her friends curled up with each other on the other side of the fire. Poe stayed sitting, and showed no indication that he was going to sleep anytime soon. Rey didn't think she would be able to sleep, but at some point, she realized someone was adding wood to the fire. She sat up and saw that it was Finn. Poe was doing the same thing to another fire.
Since she was awake, she turned to her patients. Harry was still breathing, but his breaths were shallow and coming too fast. Linda…
Poe squatted down next to her, a questioning expression on his face. Rey looked at him, tears once more filling her eyes.
"She's gone."
XXXXXX
